BOONE - A new mural has been added to the Appalachian Mural Trail by the Downtown Boone Development Association, and this one is more than 75 years old.

Painted in 1940 by famous Works Progress Administration artist Alan Tompkins, the mural "Daniel Boone on a Hunting Trip" was sponsored by the U.S. Treasury Department and commissioned by the Secretary of Fine Arts.

Recently restored by David Goist, the mural is a source of pride for the town as the only surviving WPA mural in northwest North Carolina. It was painted above a doorway inside the historic Boone Post Office.

In other news from the Appalachian Mural Trail, the Dillsboro Mural Dedication event is set for 10 a.m. June 17. "On Hallowed Ground," Dillsboro's historic outrdoor mural, will be dedicated to the Appalachian Mural Trail to kick off the Dillsboro Front Street Festival.

Joyce Lantz of Dogwood Crafters will play the part of Alice Enloe Dills, who will tell the story of Dillsboro's beginnings in 1882, when the first train into the area stopped on the Dills farm. An original piece titled "The River Tuckasegee" will be played on banjo and sung by local musician Betty Brown.

Also dedicated will be a small mural titled "ColorFest," painted by local youths across the street from the 16-foot-long "On Hallowed Ground."

The Appalachian Mural Trail is dedicated to putting "local artists to work on large outdoor historical murals," organizers wrote in a press statement. "These murals are intended to encircle the Blue Ridge Parkway and draw in visitors to the towns and communities where the outdoor murals are located, helping the economy through increased tourism and the employment of artists."

Tthe town of Elkin has added to the Appalachian Mural Trail this piece, called "The Trail Town," by artist Michael Brown, seen standing below the mural in this photo.(Photo: Courtesy of Appalachian Mural Trail)

New murals are added to the trail almost every week. Recently the town of Elkin placed four historic works on the Appalachian Mural Trail. One of the murals, called "The Trail Town," tells how Elkin has become a trail town, where the Yadkin River Blue Trail, the Overmountain Victory Trail and the NC Mountains to Sea Trail converge in its downtown. Michael Brown was the artist.